Tool for use in cleaning fish



TOOL FOR USE IN CLEANING FISH Filed Dec. 26, 1947 INVENTOR.

4 v RIGHARD H. LINDSEY ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,506,227 TOOL FOR USE IN CLEANING FISH Richard H. Lindsey, Detroit, Mich.

Application December 26, 1947, Serial No. 793,797

2 Claims.

is both a sport and a means of relaxation.

While much thought has been given to the provision of various kinds of equipment for the catching of fish, very little has been done from 'the standpoint of handling the fish after the catch has been brought in. The scaling of the fish is a particularly difficult operation, especially for those who are not adept in the matter and the scaling of the fish is ofttimes left to some one other than the fisherman or sportsman. One difliculty is that of holding and manipulating the fish while it is being scaled.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tool by means of which a fish may be held securely and manipulated as is necessary while it is being scaled or otherwise cleaned or trimmed. The tool is 50 arranged as to effectively grip and hold the fish and it is further arranged so that if the fish is alive, the tool serves as an instrument :for killing the fish. To this end, the tool embodies articulated parts for gripping the head of the fish and for penetrating the head, if necessary or desired, and the tool is capable of use with a fish of the smallest legal size, to a fish as large as those usually encountered in streams and inland lakes but may be made in any desired size.

A tool constructed in accordance with the invention is shown in the accompanying drawin and in these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the tool as applied to a fish with the fish being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the underside of the tool.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one element of the tool.

The tool is preferably constructed so that its usefulness is particularly effective and at the same time it is preferably of a simple design and of rugged construction. It resides primarily in two elements articulated to ether, pincher fashion. One element generally illustrated at is conveniently formed of sheet-like metal having a handle portion 2 and a projection portion or tine 3. This member is formed sothat in cross section, as illustrated in Fig. 4, it has a curved or bight portion 4 with side portions 5 and 6. The U-shaped form is preferably of varying depth with the deepest part in the central portion of the member. The tine 3 is preferably formed so that it tapers as illustrated in both Figures 1 and 2. This is accomplished by the side portions 5 and 6 being formed to incline or taper as shown at H! toward the tip ll of the tine, and as shown in Fig. 2, the cross dimension of the bight portion gradually decreases so that-it tapers toward the end of the tine. The bight portion 4 is provided with a slot 2.

The other cooperating member is generally illustrated at l5 and it is formed with a handle portion l6 fashioned from sheet metal stock having a bight portion l1 and sides I 8 and I9. The two sides I 8 and I9 are fashioned so as to converge toward each other as illustrated at 20 and the two side portions project beyond the bight portion IT. The two bight portions lie in interfacial relationship and form a projecting clamping member 2|. The end of the clamping member is preferably provided with a hook formation 22 with an inclined face 23. The two members are preferably made from metal stock of corrosion resisting character such as tainless steel, Monel metal or the like.

The two members of the tool are placed together in the manner shown with the clamping member 2| passing through the aperture I2 and the members are assembled together by a suitable fulcrum or pivot shown herein as a rivet 25. This rivet is passed through apertures formed in the side portions of the U-formation of the two elements. The apertures in the element l5 are shown at 26.

The cross dimension of the element I5 is such that it fits nicely within the U-formation of the element I, as shown in Fig. 4. The bight portions provide rounded surfaces for the handles 2 and I6 so that the tool may be effectively gripped and manipulated. The aperture I2 is properly positioned with respect to the location of the rivet 25 to provide for articulation of the two members and for movement of the clamping portion 2| in the aperture. The arrangement is preferably such that the hook portion 22 may be brought down against the tine 3. The end of the aperture adjacent the rivet conveniently serves to limit the extent of the opening pivotal movement of the tool; that is to say, the swinging movement of the element l5 relative to the element l in a clockwise direction, as Fig. 1 is viewed, is limited by the engagement of the clamp portion 2| with the end of the aperture I2.

The manner of use of the tool is demonstrated in Fig. 1 wherein the fish, at F, is illustrated in dotted lines with the tool applied thereto. In applying the tool to the fish the time 3 is inserted through the mouth of the fish and into the gullet and then the zioperaton'by graspi-ng-gtherhandles 2 and lfi 'an'd urging-the same toward each-other, causes the hook 22 to engage and penetrate into the skull of the fish. If the fish happens to be still alive at this time, this action-ser-ves-to 1-in-1 stantly kill it. This, of course, is desirable before the scaling operation is commenced l'fihe inclination of the face 23 oitthelhookeeffectively holds the fish. By maintaining the grasp on the handles 2 and I6, the operator may manipulate fish and flip it from side to side as it is being scaled, ;and as ther-fish :is etheriviseebeing prepared; cleaned-101- itrimmedewithinuthe desires of ptheparticular user. .The -:too1 has proven particularly desirable .ineuse-onfish :in various sizes,

gas :above mentioneil-and-iit ma-terially simplifies the heretofore vexing problem of handling-and manipulating; a-islippery fish while being scaled :or rotherwise cleaned Th tinelikeeproj ejetion: material-1y fa ci'litatesv the-mam-pulation :of theiishand the-turning of the;fish.-from=side toiside; The-tine projects subg'stantially into the sgullet aofethe tovthereby' body; of the :fish maintained reasonably "im-s movable on the tine particularly if vfthe -fish is not =I claim:

-1\. A ltool-rfor holding a fish-rwhile'thlefish is being-=scaled or other-wiseecleaned or trimmedwerrrprising, airelongated member: formed of sheet .rnetalaand substantially.of u'r-shapeein cross sec =-tion',\oneend-of=the member constitutingazhandle --port?;on',= the other end act the member, being. :01:

' in the U-shaped handle portion of the first named member and with the bight portions of the handle portions facing away from each other, the first member having an aperture through which the clamping portion of the second member extends, the tine-like portion of the first member adapted to be inserted into the gullet of the fish and the clamping portion adapted to engage the head of the fish, said clamping portion having a reversely wextendingahook like projection-adapted: to penetrate into thehead of thefish;

2. A tool for holding a fish while the fish is being scaled or otherwise cleaned or trimmed comprising,,an elongated member formed of sheet metal and substantially of U-shape in cross sectiongaoneendzof the member constituting a handle portion,.the.other end of the member being of tapering form and providing a projecting tinea-liirezgportion, said member having an elongated narrow lengthwise extending slot intermediate its ends, a second member iormed of. sheet -metal andlhaving, alhandle ,por'tionsubstantially :of .U. shape in cross. section, two extensions .of sheet metal contiguous to the tWoJegsoftheIJeS-hape projecting from thehandle :oi the .second.mem

ber an'd being d'isposed Jiniace to face engagement and xtend'inglaterally. from..the center linesof the handle portion. to. provide a relatively thin clamping portion, said members. .bei-ngdia r posed-together with..-the handle portion; of the second member fitti-ngwithinthe handle portion of the .said one-member and iwithathe .bight portions of .the (handle portionssfacing away from aeachrother, thesaid relatively thinlclampingpor- ,tion extending through.thesldt:so as toeoverlie T-fil-e of. this patent:

REEERENCES "CITED' The 1 following references are of record in the PATENTS- STATES Number Name Date 2,315,262 Flagg ,et al. Sept. .24, 1935 2,298,580 Miron, .Oct..13, 1942 

